Ontario company BMI Group held a press conference in Baie-Comeau on Thursday morning to announce its acquisition of the former paper mill. The sale of this historic site of importance to Baie-Comeau delights elected officials, although several steps remain to be taken for the site to have a new vocation.
A subsidiary of BMI Group created last Friday, Norderra, wants to transform the paper mill site into an industrial hub that can accommodate different types of companies. The Port of Baie-Comeau will support Norderra in renting the spaces.
Toutes les entreprises qui ont besoin d’entreposer pour de courtes ou de longues périodes, ou les compagnies qui veulent démarrer des processus industriels de petit ou de moyen gabarit vont être les bienvenus, précise la présidente-directrice générale du port de Baie-Comeau, Karine Otis.
Before welcoming the companies, Norderra has a lot of work to do. The company must dispose of certain equipment, conduct environmental analyses, decontaminate the site accordingly, and perform several administrative tasks, as listed by BMI Group project manager Mitch Lepage.
The first step will be to assess the structures in place. ” There are buildings that have a very specific use. These buildings need to be assessed. We may demolish some of them,
”he said.
Long-awaited news
According to Baie-Comeau Mayor Michel Desbiens, a page of history is being turned thanks to this transaction. « C’est l’histoire de la ville, la papetière, ce n’est pas rien
», rappelle celui qui a lui-même travaillé à cette usine de 1989 à 1991.
Michel Desbiens believes that the Norderra project will attract businesses to the region in the same way as the development of its industrial park, Parc Jean-Noël-Tessier. When announcing its last budget, the City of Baie-Comeau indicated that it was being vigilant while waiting for new revenues to arrive in the municipality thanks to the establishment of businesses.
This is one more option. There are businesses that will prefer Parc Jean-Noël-Tessier and others the [Norderra complex]. [complexe Norderra]. The important thing is that businesses want to invest and come to Baie-Comeau. A quote from Michel Desbiens, Mayor of Baie-Comeau
According to the CAQ MNA for René-Lévesque, Yves Montigny, the scope of the Norderra project’s benefits will not be limited to Quebec. He believes that the creation of the industrial crossroads will also allow for the creation of commercial links with Europe.
Baie-Comeau has a strategic position because of its port and its proximity to this major site, the intermodal industrial hub,
he explains. Yves Montigny also highlights the proximity of the railway network and Jean-Noël-Tessier Park, assets, according to him.
The MNA mentions that the government will offer financial support to the project in due course. The Port of Baie-Comeau does not rule out the option of also investing in the project in the future.
For its part, the City of Baie-Comeau is not considering investing for the moment. However, it plans to buy back some land that now belongs to the BMI Group, but that is not on the paper mill site.
Source: Radio-Canada Côte-Nord